Railway switch



J. A. DOUGHER RAILWAY SWITCH Filed IMay '7, 1923 2 Shleets-Sheet vl V ATTORNEY.

Dec. 4k, 1923.

, J. A. DOUGHER RAILWAY swITH Filed May '7. 1925 2' Sheng-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. f @a Patented ec. 4, i923.

UNITED- sTATEs i JOHN ANDERSON DOUGHER, or Pni'NonToN, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

Appiication filed May 7, Y1923. lseriaifNo. 637,223. 1`

To all fro/0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, .JOHN ANDERSON Donor-iria, a citizenof theA United States, residing at Princeton, in the county of y Mercer and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switches, lof which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompany-ing ldra-wings.

This invention relates tov certain imv provements in railway switches and it is an obj ect iof the invention to yprovide means of a novel land improved character to y.constantly urge the switch points in one direction whereby the switch is maintained in .one position, jpreferably closed, should any of the `parts of theoperating lInechariisfm for the switch become loose and whereby hindrance to traffic is avoided.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved means operatively engaged with a point of a switch ,for constantlyl urging said point into closed position, said means however being Sulliciently yieldable to permit vthe point to be thrown into open position. Y

The invent-ion consistsl in the details of Construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved railway switch whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, asI will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Y Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a railway switch constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 2j2 of Figure l .AS disclosed in the 'accompany-ing 4,drawings, R denote the rails Vof a main tracky line and T denote the yrails of a turnout. P'

denote the switchpoints or tongues of aconventional type connected bythebrace rod l and a switch rod 2. As the mechanism f for throwing the switch points -ortongues forms lno part of theV present invention a detailed description and illustration thereof is omitted. j

`Upon loosening of the kbolts or other parts the switch it. sometimes occurs that .the

pointsor tongues l) assume avpartly openone of ythe points,I kor tongues P for main-A taining said tongue in closed position so't'hat right of way is maintained :over :the main line. Engaged with `the .inner side .of one vcomprised in the operating mechanism for of the points or tongues P preferably the point inwardly `of butin close proximity to the switch rod 2 is a plate 3 held inapplied position in a conventional manner-the bolt 4. The plate 3 overlies the bottom flange of the point or tongue P and is provided at its opposite end portions with the depending arms or lugs 5. The plate 3 at a point between the lugs 5 is provided with an outwardly disposed plate 6 which, together with the adjacent portion of the point or tongue I rests upon the upper sur face of a hollow base plate The end portion of the plate 7 adjacent to the plate 3 is provided with an upstanding flange 8 provided withl an opening 9 through which the plate 6 is freely disposed'whe'reby said flange serves as a guide for the plate 6 when thev switch point or tongue P. is moved into either open or closed position. Y

The base plater? adjacent opposite sides thereof is provided with barrels or sleeves l() in each of which is arranged a retractible member or coiled spring 1l secured at its inner end as at l2 to an end portion of au elongated shank 14: disposed through va lug 5 and also extending within said barrel Or sleeve l0. Engaged with the shank 14 are the nuts 15 whereby the shank 14- under the in fluence of the spring 11 constantly urges the point or tongue PI in one direction, said nuts 15 also providing means to regulate the tension of the spring 11 asl may be required.

The opposite or outer end of the spring l1 trated in Figures 2 and 3.

is anchored as at 16 to a cap plate 17 associated with the end of the base plate7 remote from the flange 9 as is clearly illus- The upper surface of the base plate 7 kadj acent to the cap 17 is provided thereacross with an upstanding flange 18 having its inner edge undercut and with which a'buts an end'portion of a tie plate 19, the opposite end portion of the tie plate 19 beinglengaged as at 2O with the inner flange of the rail R. V

As disclosed in thewaccompanying drawings the base plate 7 is shown as mounted -upon a tie comprised in the track structure and held thereto by the spikes 21 although it is'to be understood that the plate 7 may be otherwise positioned or arranged as the requirements of practice may necessitate.

While the. springs 11 serve to c'onstantly urge the point or tongue P into closed position as illustrated 'in Figure 1 yet said 'y springs offer no hindrance or obstruction to said point or tongue P being thrown into open position in order that the train may' pass over the turnout. These springs however are of particular importance, as hereinbefore set forth, in the event any portion of the operating mechanism of the switch should become looser as these springs will maintain the points or tongues P in a' position whereby the traflic over the main line will be unobstructed or unhindered.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a railway switch constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for'use by rea son `of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing fromV the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I.' do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice eX- cept as hereinafter claimed. y

I claim Y In combination with a rail'and associated switch tongue, a base plate disposed there-y beneath, means for attaching the plate to therail, a sliding plate mountedupon the h' JOHN ANDERSON 1 s nonennn.

f k Witnesses to mark: may

GLEN D. SHIPLEY, JOSEPH N. MARTIN. 

